Remote switch control for electrical circuits.



P. 0. (b0. F. BUTTE.

REMOTE SWITCH CONTROL FOR ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS.

APPLICATION FILED SP1.3, 1912v 1,095,491 Patented May 5, 1914 2 SHEET SSHEET 1.

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TORNEY P. C. & O. F. BUTTE.

REMOTE SWITCH CONTROL FOR ELEOTRTGAL CIRCUITS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. s, 1912.

1,095,491 I Patented May 5,1914.

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'PIORNIY UNITED sTArns PATENT onnrcn.

PAUL C. BUTTE AND CHARLES F. BUTTE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

REMOTE SWITCH CONTROL FOR ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1914.

Application filed September 3, 1912. Serial No. '?18,251.

Electrical Circuits, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a switch mechanism for controlling electrical switches.

The object of the present invention is to provide a switch mechanism adapted to be used where it is desired to control a circuit from a distant point electrically.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a switch mechanism, which may be readily-adapted to a standard knife switch, and one which is capable of being readily mounted on switches already installed when it is desired to make them remote control switches; the invention being so designed that it may be applied to switches without impairing the operation of the latter manually at will.

The invent1on consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the preferred form of switch mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, showing a standard switch, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a slightly modified form of the switch control mechanism. Fig. 4c is a vertical longitudinal section. Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views showing wire circuits.

The present invention is evolved, designed and constructed with the purpose in view of affording a remote control for an electric switch, a standard form of which is illustrated in the present instance as comprising a slate base 2, having the usual upper terminals 3 and lower terminals 4, to which may be connected the leads of a circuit To bearings of the lower terminals 4 are pivotally connected knife blades 5, joined at their outer swinging ends by a transverse bar 6. The knife blades 5 are ordinarily thrown into frictional contact with contact clips 7 which may be connected to the upper terminals 3 secured to the base 2.

The gist of the present invention comprises electro-mechanical mechanism so con. structed and designed that before the switch knives are closed to complete a circuit, a part of the electro-mechanical mechanism may be adjusted in a set position, and when later released by a magnetic structure the re strained devices will operate to open the switch which is manually operable at will ndependently of the lever while the latter is set.

In its illustrated embodiment, the switch operating mechanism consists of a suitable lever 8, supported upon a pivot 9, which s here shown as mounted in suitable bearing 10, which may be formed, as indicated, integrally with a bracket or frame 11 which is adapted to be clamped, bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the base 2 of the switch. The bracket or; frame 11 is applied between the parallel knives 5 of a switch so that when. the switch knives'are closed the transverse, non-conducting bar 6 occupies a position across the outer end of the lever 8; this having been set by the operator so as to be engaged and restrained by a pawl or latch 12, which may be gravity or otherwise operated, and is pivoted upon a pin 13 in the adjacent portion of the bearing bracket 11; the latch or pawl 12 being provided with a shoulder 14 adapted to overlap the adjacent free end of the lever 8 when this is swung about its pivot 9 in advance of and beneath the closed switch.

The pawl 12 is provided with slots 15 projecting through which are screws 16 fastened in an armature 17 pivoted on a pin 18 in the bearing frame or bracket 11. The armature 17 is disposed adjacent to one end of a suitable electromagnet 19, to which is connected the lead wires 20 of a circuit leading to some remote point where may be arranged a switch to close the circuit in the wires 20 to energize the magnet 19.

In operation, when the switch knives 20 are to be moved to close a circuit, the operator first swings the lever 8 toward the latch or pawl 12, this placing a spring 21 connected to the lever, as at 22, under tension, so that when theswingi-ng end of the lever is engaged by its restraining pawl 12, the lever is under the constant 1111 or force of the spring 22. When the e ectromagnet 19 is energized, this, attracting the armature 17, will carry the screws 16 and bring the heads of the screws into engagement with the pawl 12 to pull the latter from engagement with the outer end of the lever 8, when this, being released will be actuated by its spring 22 and throw the switch blades, by pressing against the cross-bar 6, out of the clips 7.

The purpose of the screws 16, of which there may be one or more, is to not only act as a connectingelementbetween the armature l7 and the latch or pawl 12, but by turning the screws 16 a very fine adjustment of action can be given to the latch 12; this being determined by the position of the heads of the screws with relation to the armature to which they are secured.

For the purpose of preventing short circuits or arcs through the mechanism, we introduce between the blades of the switch and adjacent to the sides of the frame 11 in which the lever 8 is pivoted suitable insulating barriers 23, of suitable non-conducting material; these. acting as insulators to prevent the arcing of the circuit from one knife blade across to the metal structure of which the lever and bearing frame 11 may be made.

It isdesirable to provide switch controlling mechanism which will be etliciently operable upon switches of various sizes. In order to accommodate the mechanism to efficiently operate on large or small switches, in the case of the former it is desirable to introduce a second spring 2% which may be mounted in a chamber 25 formed in the lever 8; the spring 2&- reacting upon a plunger 26 slidable in the chamber 25. One end of the plunger will project somewhat below the adjacent edge of the lever, and as this is moved downwardly against the tension of the spring 21 the plunger will be carried into abutment with a shoulder 27 on the bearing frame 11; when further movement of the lever 8 will force the plunger 26 into its chamber 25 compressing the spring 24;, the resistance of which, being added to that of the spring 21, will be effective, when the lever is released from the latch 12, to swing with great force and open the knife of the large switch.

in Fig. 3 we have shown a form of the switch-operating mechanism in which the spring 24 is omitted; the tension of the spring 21 being sutlicient for a large range of switches to efficiently pertorn'l the tune tion of opening the latter.

For the purpose of protecting the mecha nism against injury by the forcible swinging of the lever 8. a suitable soft rubber bumper or other cushion 28 may be introduced at some convenient position, against which the lever 8 will swing into contact and be checked against the tension of its operating springs.

hen the circuit, in which is the electromagnet or magnets 19, is connected to the lead lines of the switch, it may be desirable to wind the coils of the magnets with double windings 30, as shown in Fig. 6; the advantage of the double winding of a magnet being that in event of one or the other of the lead wires running through the switch being disconnected so that one branch of the circuit would be broken, then one magnet or all or" the magnets would still be energized by reason of the coupling of one 0t either windings to some other branch of the switch wiring.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is in combination with the frame and connected knife blades of a switch, a lever pivoted to the frame to the rear of the bar and having a transverse chamber located above its pivotal point and extending through its front and rear faces, a spring pressed plunger slidable in the chamber, an abutment on the frame spaced from the front face of the frame to engage the outer end the plunger, a lateral projection on the lever arranged below the abutment and below the pivotal point of the lever, and a coil spring connected to said projection at its lower end and extending upwardly and arranged to the rear of said abutment in said space between the abutment and the front face of the frame and having its upper end connected to the frame at a point above the abutment.

in testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PAUL C. BUTTE. CHARLES F. Bll'ltllt. lVitnesses:

A. Dacenrr, O. U. Banernaan. 

